The best ones to use for trimming: Cat nail clippers

Is it time to cut your kitty's sharp nails? Here is our review of the best cat nail clippers in the market. As well as your buying guide in choosing the right cat nail trimmer for your kitty.

Felines are natural hunters and having sharp claws are innate to them. As wild hunters, they need their sharp claws to capture their prey.

While having sharp claws is a necessity for wild felines, the same can’t be said to domestic kitties. Feline pets that are living under human custody are provided with food without the need to hunt in the wild.

Since household felines don't need to hunt for their food anymore, sharp claws are of no use to them.

Not only can they ruin your belongings but they can also injure themselves. In the worse case, pets with untrimmed claws could also hurt you and other members of the households including your kids.

Therefore, it is our duty as a pet owner to make sure that their nails are regularly trimmed.

Most pet owners would tell you that trimming a cat's claw is not as easy as it seems. No kitties would enjoy having their nails trimmed.

If anything, they will try to run away from nail trimmers as much as possible.

Having their claws trimmed for the first time may require a little bit of restraint.

So, make sure to make the first experience as comfortable and pain-free as possible.

Your furry friend is likely to get frightened if it feels pain and discomfort along the process. However, if you carry it out gently and comfortably, they may find the practice more agreeable than before.

To be able to cut your pet’s nails without causing pain and discomfort, high levels of care and concentration are required on your part.

Of course, you also need to use the best cat nail clippers that perfectly suit your pet’s specific needs.

No matter how careful you are, if you’re not using the using the right cat nail clippers, you’re likely to fail on this task.

To make nail trimming a breeze, you must have strong knowledge on how to use cat nail clippers.

Feline nails are entirely different from human nails so don’t even think about using your nail clippers on your furry pet.

Choosing the right cat nail trimmer that is specially designed for the feline is therefore necessary.

There are several types of cat nail clippers on the market to choose from. This is to cater to every kittie's unique behavior specifically.

Take time to learn about the essential components of each type. Then examine if a certain kind can meet your pet's needs and preferences.

Different brands of cat nail clippers are innumerable, making it almost impossible to study each brand one by one.

However, all these products belong to a specific category that represents the style and structure they use. Here are the three major types of cat nail clippers.

Types of Nail Clippers for Cats

Cat nail clippers come in 3 major types; each has its advantages and disadvantages. Check out the details below:

1. Guillotine Clippers

This type of cat nail trimmer looks like a hole puncher with a structure similar to guillotines.

It has a small stationary ring where you put your pet's claws. Guillotine clippers work by using a blade that slides forward as you squeeze the handles, cutting off the nail.

This type of cat nail clippers is ideal for small and medium pets. It may not be strong enough to trim larger pets’ nails.

If you choose this type of cat nail clippers, you need to be extra careful. This is because it can cut off as much as nail inserted in the hole.

Placing your pet’s finger too close to the blade may slice off the quick, the pink part of the nail that contains blood vessels. Doing so may cause bleeding and may cause painful distress on your kitty.

Moreover, if you incorrectly positioned the claw into the ring, the nail might get crushed instead of being cut.

To ensure safe and effective trimming, make sure to replace the blade if you notice any sign of bluntness.

2. Scissor Clippers

As the name implies, this type of cat nail clippers looks like scissors. More importantly, they are used like regular scissors, so anyone won't have a problem using them.

By using it as a scissor, you are given a full view of what you’re cutting. Plus, it is easier to handle and maneuver than guillotine clippers.

Because you can apply as much force as you can, scissor clippers can also be used for larger cats. However, you’ll need to squeeze quickly and firmly to get a clean cut.

Another advantage of using this type is that it doesn’t require replacement of blades. If you notice that the scissor blades are getting blunt, sharpening them would do the trick.

3. Grinding Tool Trimmers

If you’re not confident about using guillotine or scissor clippers, you can always resort to a grinding tool trimmer.

Some pet owners are hesitant in clipping their pet's claws for fear of cutting close to the quick. Moreover, if you are one of them, then a grinding tool trimmer is probably your best choice.

Unlike the first two types of cat nail trimmers, this type doesn't use blades to slice off the claw. Instead, it uses sandpaper or emery board to grind down the claw bit by bit.

You can stop trimming when you finally reach the appropriate length. Furthermore, you may need to file the nails after clipping them with a guillotine or scissor clippers.

As this type slowly grinds and decreases the length of the claw, it also leaves a tip smooth. So there's no need to file the nails at all.

Regardless of your pet's size, this type of cat nail trimmer can easily grind claws no matter how tough they are.

The only downside of using grinding tool trimmer is that the grinding sound may scare your pet a bit.

Our Top 7 Picks for the Best Nail Clippers

You can never go wrong with investing in cat nail clippers that can make the whole process quick and pain-free. Getting a reliable, sharp, high-quality cat nail trimmer can go a long way.

Moreover, it is something every pet owner should have. If you’re having a hard time choosing the best cat nail clippers for your unique pet, we’ve got you covered.

Here is our list of recommended brands of the best cat nail clippers available in the market. Take time to scrutinize their features, advantages, and disadvantages to come up with a wise buying decision. Check them out!

1. Hertzko Electric Pet Nail Grinder

This grinding tool cat nail trimmer is manufactured by one of the most trusted pet grooming company. For years, Hetzko has become the industry leader in pet grooming products so you can guarantee its quality.

The grinder area is designed with three size ports openings so you can easily adjust the grinder depending on the claw's length.

Use the small opening for small sized kitties and the medium opening for medium-sized kitties. Larger cats typically have more prolonged and tougher claws so you'll need to detach the entire cover to expose the whole bit.

Use the small and medium openings for small and medium-sized pets respectively. To trim more robust claws of larger pets, remove the entire cover to expose the whole bit.

Grinding tool trimmer is the safest type of cat nail clippers. So you can use it to trim overgrown claws of young kittens as well.

It uses a powerful yet noiseless motor that is capable of generating several thousand RPM speed for quick and accurate grinding.

A swift and efficient engine is necessary to handle the hardest and toughest claws.

Additionally, the package comes with a USB cord for easier recharging. Just make sure to fully charge the device before using it to ensure optimal performance and result.

Specially designed to reduce vibration caused by the grinding action, it is also made super lightweight for ease of use.

Furthermore, it has finger grips to provide better and more comfortable maneuverability. With this, you’re free to cut down and shape the nails as you wish.

If you have other pets in the household such as dogs, rabbits, and birds, you can also use this product on them. That's how versatile Hertzko Nail Grinder is.

Key Features:

Provides safe and effective grinding performance by employing Diamond Bit Grinder to eliminate the risk of hurting your pet or trimming the nail too short

Three size openings allow you to adjust the port of the grinder area depending on your pet’s nail length

The noiseless motor that efficiently works without making unnecessary noise that may frighten your kitty

Low vibration for a more comfortable trimming

Super lightweight with finger grips for easier maneuverability

Pros

Rechargeable; comes with a USB cable for easy charging

Detachable cover allows easier cleaning

Allows you to trim claws at appropriate length without the need to file them after trimming

Cons​

Some pet owners who have used this device have encountered difficulty on their first try. Hence, we recommend that you try it on your nail first and practice before using it on your pets.

Cons

4. Shiny Pet Cat Nail Clippers

If you’re not comfortable with the pliers-type handle, you can still resort to the true scissor-type with scissor handles.

By using its ergonomic handles, it feels like you’re just holding a regular scissor. Anyone can effortlessly use it without worrying about slippage and mishandling.

In addition to that, the rubberized handles are also coated with a slip-proof finish for a more secure grip. No matter how uncooperative your pet is, you won’t need to worry about losing grip on it.

Shiny Pet cat nail clippers feature razor-sharp blades made of stainless steel. Its angled blades are designed to cut claws with precision flawlessly.

With its straightforward design, you're given full control on how much pressure is needed to cut off the claws. Moreover, just like any scissor-type cat nail clippers, you're given a full view of the cutting area.

On top of these, the blades are semi-circular to prevent cutting too deep and to reduce the risk of nipping the quick.

It is important to point out that this lightweight product is designed for small cats and kittens. It may not be strong enough to cut off tough, thick claws of larger pets.

Cons

5. Glendan Pet Nail Scissors

This brand of scissor nail trimmer comes in two sizes – small clipper with scissor handles and large clipper with pliers-type handles.

For small to medium sized pets, we recommend the small clipper. Moreover, for larger pets, the large pliers-type should be able to handle tougher claws without any problem.

Both sizes are crafted from durable, high-grade stainless steel to provide quick and smooth trimming experience. Besides, we want to make the process as stress-free as possible to lessen our pet's anxiety.

They come with a safety stop feature to prevent overcuts and injuries. Their semi-circular blades allow you to pinpoint the appropriate area to cut off quickly.

For better control and mobility, the rubberized handles have pitted surface to prevent slips and to provide firmer grips.

The large pliers-type is equipped with a spring that automatically sets the blades open once the pressure is released. Additionally, it has a one-touch lock function to keep the blades together when not in use.

Key Features:

Comes in two size variants – small (scissor handles) and large (pliers handles)

The semi-circular, razor-sharp blades are crafted from high-grade stainless steel that can last a long time

High-performance blades designed to make quick and smooth cuts

Small clipper is equipped with safety stop feature, and large clipper has a one-touch lock function to reduce the risk of injuries and overcuts

Cons

6. JW GripSoft Cat Nail Clipper

You may feel a bit skeptical when you see its tiny blades but don't let its puny appearance fool you. Shorter blades allow more natural control for more precise and safer trimming.

Despite their short length, the sharp blades can make clean cuts without splintering the claws. Its small and portable design is just right to efficiently cut your pet's nails for a quick and painless trimming session.

JW GripSoft features a non-slip handle that can be operated as a simple pair of scissors. With its convenient design, it will never slip out of your fingers no matter how aggressively your pet moves.

However, take note that these puny cat nail clippers can only handle small to medium sized pets. Moreover, it may not be enough to cater to larger pets with tougher nails.

If you're looking for an affordable cat nail trimmer for your small kitties, then this is the right product for you.

Lastly, you need to take extra care in using this scissor because it doesn’t have a safety stop feature.

Key Features:

Features short length blades for more natural control and maneuverability

Non-slip rubber handle that won’t move or slip out of your fingers when trimming

Razor-sharp blades make clean, smooth cuts for a stress-free and painless trimming experience

Easy to use a simple design that works more like ordinary scissors so anyone can use it with ease

7. Pet Republique Pet Nail Clippers

Last on our list is the Pet Republic Cat Nail Clippers, but this versatile brand is not the least.

Pet Republique's range of cat nail clippers is offered in 3 variants. First is the mini clipper that is designed explicitly for small cats and kittens.

The mini clipper has a short length pair of scissors with finger holes that make you feel like holding a regular scissor.

It works precisely like most scissor-type cat nail clippers with stainless steel and rubberized handles. Unfortunately, Pet Republique Mini Clipper doesn't come with the useful safety stop that is supposed to prevent overcuts.

The second variant is the small clipper that features pliers-type handles. Just like the mini clipper, this variant also employs semi-circular blades to give you a full view of the cutting area.

Pet Republique small clipper also features non-slip rubberized handles with finger grips to offer comfort and easy maneuver.

In addition to this, you can make use of its one-touch lock function to secure the sharp blades closed when not in use.

If you prefer the grinder type over the scissor type, you can choose the third variant, the Pet Republique Grinder.

This electric grinder is equipped with a high-speed motor that rotates the grinder stone.

Allow the device to trim your pet's claw down to the appropriate length through a grinding action. You can adjust the grinder speed by selecting low and high-speed gears.

Some grinder emits a grinding sound that may frighten your pet. However, this product uses a low-noise motor that produces grinding noise less than 60 dB.

The grinder type is equipped with a long-lasting, rechargeable battery and it comes with a USB cable for easy charging.

Depending on your pet’s specific need, you can choose among these three variants.

For smaller pets, buying the affordable mini clipper is probably the wisest decision. Its simple design makes it the easiest to use among the three variants.

Both the small clipper and the grinder can be used on pets of any size. These are designed to cut off even the toughest of claws with ease.

The grinder features three size openings to cater to your pet's size. Use the small opening to expose a small portion of the grinder stone to trim down smaller claws.

Alternatively, you can use the medium opportunity to expose a larger share of the stone, ideal for medium-sized pets. If you want to use the full opening, remove the entire cover to expose the whole grinder stone.

Key Features:

Available in three variants – mini clipper, small clipper, and grinder

Scissor types (mini and small clippers) are made of stainless steel that won’t rust and can last a long time

Cons

Choosing the Best Cat Nail Clippers

If you noticed, we didn’t include a guillotine type trimmer on the list. This is mainly because many pet groomers find this particular type very hard to deal with.

Furthermore, using guillotine type increases the risk of accidentally slicing off the quick and cause bleeding. Considering all these things, we decided to leave out the guillotine type and focused on safer options.

Between scissor type and grinder type, it is still wise to scrutinize the product regardless of your choice.

Every brand on our list has its key features and benefits to offer. However, what exactly should we look for in choosing the best cat nail clippers in the market?

Here are some of the critical factors to consider before making a final decision:

Blade quality

At least we can all agree that the ability of the blade to create clean, quick cuts is most important.

Start by looking at the blade material. It should be preferably made of stainless steel that will not go dull easily and will not rust.

The blade’s cutting edge should be very sharp, not blunt. You’ll risk splintering your pet’s claws if you use a dull blade.

Make sure to sharpen the blade from time to time to ensure quick, clean and painless trimming. You can use abrasives such as sandpaper, emery cloth, or diamond stone to sharpen the blade’s edges.

Regular sharpening isn't required in grinder types because it doesn't have blades, to begin with. Instead, it uses a high speed rotating grinding stone that provides precision trimming ability and smooth surface finish.

Grinding stones made with diamond or CBN (cubic boron nitride) grains are considered the best and can flawlessly trim even the toughest claws.

Some products may use ceramic grains, silicon carbide, or aluminum oxides which are less superior to the first-mentioned materials.

Ease of use

While it’s crucial to make the trimming experience agreeable for your kitty, you should also consider your own sake.

Are you comfortable with the grips? Can you properly use it without any difficulty? Are you required to exert unnecessary pressure to make it work?

Several helpful features can make trimming more accessible and more comfortable for the groomer.

Choose models that have rubberized handles or anti-slip grips to help you have a firmer grip on the handles.

Different brands also vary in sizes so you should choose the one that comfortably fits on your palm.

Safety features

Accidentally cutting the quick isn't life-threatening but the bleeding and the pain may emotionally scar your pet for life.

We recommend brands that have safety features that can help you prevent overcuts as a safety stop or quick guard.

It’s important to see to it that you’re not going too close to the base of the claw. The quick safety guard acts as a guide to prevent you from going beyond the safe line.

With these safety features, you can eliminate the fear of causing injuries to your beloved feline pet.

Mechanism

It is its ability to trim claws that counts. However, you have the option to choose your preferred method of cutting.

Manual clippers such as the scissor and guillotine types are mostly operated by hand and could be used without electrical intervention.

Electronic clippers such as the grinder types are still operated manually. However, it would need to be charged electrically for the motor to rotate the stone at high speed.

Your choice of product will depend on your preference of mechanism.

How to Clip a Cat’s Nails?

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to teach you how to clip your pet’s claws safely and efficiently.

Use your dominant hand to hold the trimmer.

Hold a firm grip to make sure that it won’t slip out of your fingers. Try to squeeze the handle to determine how much pressure is needed to move the cutting blades.

Take note that felines have retractable claws. Use your other hand’s thumb and forefinger and gently squeeze your pet’s toe to expose the claw.

You should be able to see the pink stripe at the base of the claw. This area is called the quick, and you must avoid cutting this area.

Position the trimmer perpendicular to the claw and approximately 2 millimeters away from the quick.

Squeeze the handles as quickly as you can to allow the sharp blades to make a clean cut.

If you’re using a guillotine type trimmer, place the tip of the claw in the ring. Make sure that the blade is perpendicular to the nail.

Quickly squeeze the handles to advance the cutting blade, allowing it to trim the claw from top to bottom.

Use a nail file to smooth out the tip of the claw after trimming.

If you’re using a grinder type, open the grinding area using appropriate opening size.

Switch on the device and see the grinding stone rotate at high speed. For more robust claws, you may need to set the device to high speed.

Slowly but surely, start from the tip of the claw then slowly go side by side to reduce the length. Again, make sure to avoid getting near the quick — no need to file the claws after grinding.

In case you accidentally cut the quick, and the claw starts bleeding, use a styptic pencil to stop bleeding. Hold the tip of the styptic pencil to the bleeding area. The bleeding should stop in about 5 minutes.

How Often Should You Clip a Cat’s Nails?

Feline claws can grow fast, and before you know it, they've overgrown again. Make it a habit of cutting their claws about every 2 weeks or so.

This is to avoid their nails from growing too long. If you have kittens, it is wise to train them early and get them used to trim sessions.

Felines are creatures of habit, and if you trim their nails regularly, they will deem it as a regular routine. As they grow up, they will get accustomed to the experience and might find it pleasurable.

Don’t forget to give them yummy treats after every session.

Is Declawing a Safe Option?

You’ve probably heard some pet owners suggesting that you declaw your pet to save you from trimming sessions.

However, is declawing safe for your feline pet? Declawing involves a surgical procedure in which a pet’s claws are permanently removed by amputating the last bone of each toe.

Just reading the description would want to make you cringe, right? What most people don’t know is that clawing is a natural, healthy, and essential feline behavior.

As natural hunters, their claws are their first line of defense and offense. Removing their claws is like scraping off a soldier’s ammunition.

In other words, they need their claws to survive even if they are domesticated.

This unnecessary procedure is not only inhumane, but it also has negative impacts on their physical and mental health.

Declawed cats are often more aggressive because they tend to feel insecure for having no means of self-protection.

Nails also play a huge part in their balance. The absence of nails significantly changes the way their feet meet the ground.

In most cases, declawed pets have to relearn how to walk due to an impaired balance.

Declawing procedure also puts your pet to a higher risk of chronic back pain, tissue necrosis, crippling of the feet, and nerve damage.

So, if you’re thinking about declawing your furry friend, we highly suggest that you reconsider.

This barbaric procedure will do more harm than good to your feline pet so you should never think about it.

If you’re confident about trimming your pet’s claws by yourself, there are plenty of pet groomers that you can avail.

Most veterinarians also offer a free nail trim after a consultation. Ask your vet about this free service.

Conclusion

Proper grooming is essential in keeping our furry pets healthy and good-looking. Overgrown claws are a nuisance for domestic kitties so trimming their nails should be a part of their care routine.

There's a wide range of cat nail clippers available in the market. However, as long as you understand the factors to consider in choosing the right product, you'll be sure to get the best.

While a visit to a pet groomer can save you from the task, it is good to come to grips with it. Consider the experience as a bonding moment for you and your kitty.

Using a cat nail trimmer isn't a difficult task as long as you take extra care. More importantly, you should know where to cut and where not to cut.

Start introducing the practice of nail trimming while they're young. This way, the method will become a habit, and they'll willingly do it without you forcing them to.

If you don't have the free time to trim their claws regularly, a scratching post can do the trick. A high-quality scratching post can unsharpen their nails and helps delay the growth. However, you may need to trim the claws when it grows too long.